he is totally in control of everything they do. he designs all those plays and getting people wide open in the red zone against one of the best red zone teams in the national football league. and somehow he and drew brees seem to be almost the same guy, you know. when you're talking to both of them, they're both thinking the same thing. and brees even says that. he says, sometimes i'm thinking of a play, and sure enough, that's the play that he calls. it looks like it when they're playing games like this. >> al: that kneel-down will end it. the new orleans saints will go to 10-3, and ron rivera's team will go to 9-4. that puts the saints very much in the driver's seat in terms of winning this division. because even if carolina were to beat them in two weeks and they wind up with the same record, the saints are going to win the tiebreaker. a big night for ryan as well. final score, 31-13.

and stick around now for the "wendy's post-game report."

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>> announcer: welcome to the "wendy's post-game report." here now, bob costas. >> bob: new orleans seizes control of the nfc south, spotting carolina a 6-0 lead, then rolling over the panthers to win it, 31-13.

game balls, well, let's hand them out. linebacker junior galette had three sacks. he'll get a game ball and his likeness on the "sunday night football" bus along with, who else? drew brees, 30 of 42, 4 touchdowns, no picks, fastest ever past 50,000 career passing yards. marques colston caught 9 of those passes, 2 of them for touchdowns. brees and colston are on the field for the post-game interview with michele. >> michele: well, drew, after losing the way you did last monday, you come back home to face the number one defense in the nfl and take control of the division. you had to have the game. so what was the mentality of this team coming in? >> we knew the challenge, especially on a short week, playing against a great divisional poept in the panthers. they had won eight in a row, so they were rolling. we wanted to hit our stride and get our swagger back. no better way than to come in the dome and do that. all three phases played exceptionally well tonight. got a great team win. >> michele: carolina's defense had given up just two first half touchdowns all season. you guys score three on them in

the first half. what were you able to do that other offenses have not? >> we just had great balance and a lot of guys made plays. marques came up with huge catches, as did jimmy. the line did a great job. we mixed and matched the personnel groups and what we were doing. and defense did a great job of getting us the ball and giving us opportunities. >> michele: fastest quarterback in nfl history to 50,000 yards passing. only quarterback in nfl history with six straight seasons of 30 touchdown passes. i know you don't like to talk about yourself, but what is it about this offense that allows you to be so productive? >> i love this offense. i love what sean payton's put together. i love the group of guys that i get a chance to play with. marques colston had eight great years. he accounts for most of those statistics. and jimmy graham is right on his way. so many guys that i love playing with and really have great chemistry with including the guys up front. and just blessed to be able to play in a city like this for a team like the saints and for a

coach like sean payton. >> michele: congratulations, drew. let's turn to marques colston. big play after big play. how were you able to win your matchups time and time again? >> just the work throughout the week. the coaches did a great job putting a great game plan together. you know, just really taking that knowledge and being able to anticipate what they were going to do. >> michele: now, drew does not like to talk about himself, but he hit some big milestones tonight. how do you explain what makes him who he is? >> you've just got to see him throughout the week. that man works like i've never seen. you know, he deserves every bit of success that he gets. >> michele: after a win like tonight, how do you guys look at the rest of the season? >> we've got a tough one in st. louis. they're playing well. especially at home. you know, we've still got some corrections to make. we'll take this one, process it and get ready for next week. >> michele: congratulations. >> thank you. >> michele: bob, they'll go make some corrections, i guess. >> bob: whatever corrections need to be made. thank you, michele. worth mentioning that like

colston, jimmy graham had two touchdown receptions among his six total catches. with tonight's victory, the saints have the inside track on the second bye in the nfc. but we'll know much more after these teams meet again in two weeks, although as al noted throughout the night, the tiebreaker belongs to new orleans. so they have an even greater advantage over the panthers than the one-game margin would indicate. even after losing today in san francisco, the seahawks lead the 49ers by two games in the west, and they can clinch home field by winning out. right now the eagles lead the east, and the lions lead the north. but tomorrow night's cowboys/bears game will have an impact on those races. so we bring in tony dungy from new york. tony, what did you take away from -- it was a remarkable day of football in both conferences, but what do you take away from today in the nfc? >> tony: well, bob, i would really look out for the green bay packers. as crazy as it sounds, they're way down in the tenth slot right now, but they only have six losses.

they have a tie, and if they get aaron rodgers back and they can win out, they can get to 9-6-1, they would beat out all the 9-7 teams. i think green bay is in a much better position than many people think. >> bob: yeah, and philadelphia did them a favor today, coming from behind at home in the snow and beating the lions. now, in the afc, a bit more clarity as both denver and indianapolis have clinched playoff berths as of today while the patriots, bengals and chiefs are also well positioned to be playing in january. the most intriguing race is shaking up to be for the sixth and final playoff spot with the four main contenders all winning today. so tony, who do you see emerging from that group for the second wild card? >> tony: well, you look at baltimore and miami. and baltimore has the tiebreaker, head-to-head advantage with a win over miami. but miami has what would appear to be an easier schedule down the stretch. they both play new england. but baltimore has to go to

detroit and to cincinnati where -- oh, i lost my train of thought now. where miami has games against buffalo and the jets. and so miami is really sitting there in pretty good position, but they've got a huge game coming up with new england this week. >> bob: you know, coach, don't worry about it. this whole situation is so jumbled, it's remarkable you can keep your train of thought 99% of the time. let's turn to mike florio, "pro football talk." what will you have your eye on for tomorrow? >> all eyes on washington where coach shanahan already considered to be on the hot seat. espn reported shanahan nearly quit in january, packed up his office and after sunday's bl blowout loss to the chiefs, he in a roundabout way confirmed the report. in a time when it looks shanahan won't be back next year, some are wondering whether he'll be back next week. there also were significant injuries on sunday.

among them, vikings' running back adrian peterson. rob gronkowski is believed to have i attorn acl suffered in a low hit against the browns. mri is expected to confirm it on monday. and this had been the highest scoring offense since gronkowski made his debut this season as of week seven. and also, broncos' receiver wes welker suffered his second concussion in four games. he will not be able to practice or play until he receives clearance from an independent neurologist. >> bob: mike, once again, we thank you for that and more. don't miss mike florio on "pro football talk" presented by chevrolet every weekday afternoon at 5:30 on nbcsn. new orleans, 31, carolina, 13. al and cris wrap it up from the big easy after this. hi toooom... wendy's bacon portabella melt? you look...different. i had a little work done. new bun? brioche. mmm, that's hot.

okay...that was weird. here's yours- i'm gonna take mine and leave you two alone. wendy's bacon portabella melt. a new buttery brioche bun, crisp bacon and rich portabellas in a melty cheddar sauce. now that's better. use chase freedom at amazon.com and get 5% cash back this quarter. so you can find the perfect gift for everyone. including you. activate your 5% cash back at chase.com/freedom chase. so you can. to buy an all-new silverado. this interior is incredible! the nav is perfect for my long trips up north this time of year. how far up north? akron. akron's nice. mm. [ male announcer ] chevy's giving more this holiday season, chevy's giving more during the calendar year end event. trade up to the all-new 2014 silverado all star v6 for a total value of $5,250. see your local chevy dealer today.

with windowsue 8 pro is one awesome machine. can i do my work stuff on it? work and play. it's got the new windows and powerful intel processor so you can do it all like mixing pleasure and business. that sounds so rebellious. yeah, like mixing fire and ice. like polka dots and plaid. hey hey, careful. i could pull it off. own the season. get the hottest windows tablets like the dell venue, with intel inside. get 6, 12, 18, or 24 months special financing with a walmart credit card. minimum purchase and certificate required. valid in-store only through 12/31/13. walmart. use chase freedom at select department stores and get 5% cash back this quarter. so you can give her an even bigger surprise. activate your 5% cash back at chase.com/freedom chase. so you can. >> announcer: welcome back to the "wendy's post-game report." here now, al michaels and cris collinsworth.

>> al: so from new orleans we go to pittsburgh next week. it's cincinnati against pittsburgh. your bengals, cri srks, a longt standout with the bengals, in case you didn't know that. looking pretty good this year. >> cris: they are. andy dalton, a.j. green, everybody knows about them. you know about the defense. this giovani bernard has added an element in the backfield. they have to keep that two-game lead against baltimore because baltimore has the head-to-head win. they play each other the last game of the season for what could be a winner take all for the division. >> al: not only that, but if they keep winning and they can catch new england and tie new england, have the same record as the patriots, they get the tiebreak because they beat them in cincinnati earlier this year. >> cris: and the gronkowski injury today absolutely huge for the new england patriots. we know that there is a difference in how had he play with and without him. >> al: therefore don't miss it. cincinnati at pittsburgh next week from the steel city on "sunday night football." again, the final score, new

orleans, 31, and carolina, 13. until next week, al michaels, cris collinsworth, michele tafoya, our entire gang headed by brett and drew. saying good night from new orleans. i love watching tv outside. and why can you move the tv out here? the wireless receiver. i got that when i switched to u-verse. but why?

because it's so much better than cable. it's got more hd channels, more dvr space. yeah, but i mean, how did you know? i researched. no, i-i told you. no. yeah! no. the important part is that you're happy now. and i got you this visor. you made a visor! yes! that i'll never wear. ohh. [ male announcer ] get u-verse tv for just $19 a month for two years with qualifying bundles. rethink possible.

bundling up for what maybe the coldest night of the season. and some california crops are now threatened by the e1ongoing cold weather. plus real estate gone wild. this $400,000 burned-up two-story home in one bay area city, and it might just bei] a hr(t&háhp &hc >> it's going to be intercepted! arch-rivals in an epic game at the stick. the 49ers' biggest win of the season coming up on xfinity sports sunday.xd good evening. i'm diane dwyer, and thanks for joining us forfá this special edition of nbc bay area news. we are on right now because of sunday night football. and we begin with the weather jfagain. tonight is expected to be the coldest so far in many bay area citiñsw so let's get right out to nbc bay area's monnex francis. he's in walnut creek with the ;r

latest. how cold is it there right e1no monte? >> reporter: good evening. it's pretty cold. this is some manmade snow from the ice skate rink across the street. i've had it since about 6:00 and it hasn't meltedq very much sine then. you can see that rightfá now he at walnut creek it is a chilly and as we found out, this bitter cold is not keeping everyone indoors.e1 there's snowñi at the downtown e skating rink in walnut creek tonight, even though it's of the manmade sort. on the other hand, theñiaw4 bit cold air was very real. but not too unbearable to keep people off the ice. >> becauseñi of the fun. this is the first time my son is ice skating. so we got him a glider, and he's having fun. soamáuyve gotq to get out. can't just stay home inside. >> reporter: sarah carter works the cash register outsideñr and was justxd finishing up her eight-hour shift when we talked. >> i've got lots of layers on.li i have a sweater, jacket, my scarf, another jacket, and long socks and mittens. >> reporter: but this recentñr

cold snap is coming at a steep cost for the state's agricultur3 industry. sit ruz trees are'c freezing i the centralok valley, where som farmers are v. lost 20% toçó 30 of their i]harvest. >> we're losing a lot of money in thk deal, and we may end up having to remove the trees. >> reporter: in the bayxd area most of the wineries have already finished their harvests for the season andw3 aren't threatened by the recent freeze. the grapes had all been picked a couple of weeks ago. >> the frost isn't going to give ( any trouble really out here.ve there may be a couple far-flung wineries with a few grapes on there biting their nails about the frost. but out here in the livermore valley we're prettyó[ well harvested and ready for a nice winter. >> reporter: and again, it's a very frosty 35 degrees here in walnut creek. it is a good time to remember the threeok ps -- pets, plants, and pipes. bringe1 your pets inside. insulated. live in walnut ñicreek, monte francis, nbc bay area news. >> good jfadvice.

thank you, monte. for more on where we're goingñio 3 those chilly temperatures tonight, we're going tolp checkn with meteorologist anthony slaughter right now. hello, anthony. >> good evening, diane. we are under a freeze warning tomorrow morning around 9:00, 10:00. you definitely wantxd to make se tonight is going to be another round of cold te-(ratures and of course the p)ntial for black ice on those roadways. this is what we're expecting tomorrow morning when you wake up. 19 in napa, 22 in santae1 rosabd 27 down ine1 san jose. now, earlier this weekxd in san $w actually got down to degrees just a couple nights ago, and this is going to rival one of the coldest mornings we've seen all year long. the last time it was this cold inw3 san jose, january 13th earlier this year. we got down to 26 degrees. so again, very chilly and one of the coldest nights of the season. and check this out. if you're living in napa, this is the eighth consecutive looking at temperaturesqw3 belo 32. that last long stretch, back from january 10th when we were under freezing temperatures at

least for 12 days, diane. we're going to rival that but we do have warmer weather on our way. we'll talk about that in a bit. >> i don't remember that. this seems way colder. thank you, anthony. there was a record setter today at the 31st annual california international marathon in folsom, near sacramento. áñ a record 10,000 people took part in one of the coldest ,y!!=9m forq california in decades. organizers say the temperatures were in the 20s at the start of the race but warmed up to, you know, a balmy mid 30s by the finish. and the cold weather isn't just on the west coast. a winter storm is dumping freezing rain and snow in the northeast as well. nbc's brian mooar has that story. rest. îi"át workweek. the east coast is getting a taste of the wintry weather that's already made a mess of racine county, wisconsin a /z tractor-trailers and at least 30 other ve down a 4jju

high way inform hours. in franklinçó county, kentucky ice storm made driving almost impossible. >> windshield wipers weren't working. we had to stop. i can deal with snow all day long g when it comes to freezing rain i don't even want to touch it. >> reporter: in dallas this was just one of many rooftops collapsed by all the heavy snow and ice. and hundreds of flights are on hold until the foul weather >> it's cold. it's really cold. >> repor8m9: not so for school children looking forward to an extra day off. diehard football fans in philadelphia where the playersi could have traded their cleats for w3skis. >> he's got it. calvin johnson mñkes the catch. down around the 10 yard line. >> reporter: for much ofmf%e christmas. time to bundle up and hunker down for a long winter that hasn't officially even xdbegun. >> keep warm, everyone. >> reporter: the weather channel warns another blastq of arctic air ii make its way from the plains to the northeast. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. thefá winter storm on the et

coast and our bay area freezing warning -- freeze warning,n34fç is, are the top stories on our 1 website. you can track the temperatures in your city there as well. just go to e1nbcbayarea.com. so would you buy aok burned-out home for $400,000?r check it out. the owners are hoping to sell this one in san jose for that t r' san jose with why it might even be a bargain. hello, kimberly. >> reporter: hello, diane. well, it's very close toñiçó downtown san jose and literally steps awayjf from san jose stat university.e1 two great selling points according to realtors we talked to. also, there isn't a whole lot of inventory in the bay area real estate market, but high demand. so while some might look at this plrçáp'd say wow, what a mess, others see it as a great who is in the market for a home and came to look at theçó propei today. >> probably a lot of opportunities to build it and make it a nice qhouse.

>> isçó that land worth e1$400,? >> at firstç?$(suárñr i wouldn'y that it's worth $400,000.ñi but i've been reallyñi surprise over things that have gone on$m over the last few months, stuff that i didn't think was going to go for what it did. and more. >> reporter: realtor bernie go for well over the asking price. he already has three or four clients who rirnted in looking at the zvproperty, which he sa will likely have to be taken down to the studs and rebuilt. he says the average price for a ho]f in this neighborhood is in the $800,000t( range. ìáhp& abandoned forñ$vqp)s before fir damaged it in june of 2012. they say they would love to see the land purchased and the home dq8live in san jose,o=7ç kimber, nbc bay arpr news. >> thank you, kimberly. and now to continuing coverage of the palo alto north korea. some experts say that nation may

have gained somethingjf from th high-profile case of merrill newman. he was detained for more than a month in north korea, accused of crimes dating back to the korean war. after being forced to publicly apologize to the north korean people, the government deported 4rhumanitarian grounds. one expert at stanford that we talked to said thate1 apology m show just how powerful the current government is to its own people. >> it was very useful for the north koreans not so much internationally to get anfá apology from merrill newman for war, but internally. they can useñ$u$at information o demonstrate to theire1 own population that they, the regime,xi;e1 in controli]xjeñ n from e1 tgtricans. >> while merrill newman is a free man tonight, north korea continues to hold another american citizen. that's kenneth bae. he's been sentenced to 15 years

for hostile acts against the communist l]costate. a san francisco church held a tribute to nelson mandela ont this sunday. glideñr memorial church celebrad the legacy and courage of the former south african president. reverend cecil williams says although people are mourning the death of mandela they should also of courseç(z7x remember hi the incredible example he set. >> i feel inspired. i feel upbeat. i feel like the spirit is touching me in ways that i would hope it would touch me at alle1 times. to accept people. to makew3 sure that i don't do and bring justice to the lives of humanity. >> reporter: today was also an official day of prayer and reflectionq in south africa for mandela. several doctors and nurses from the bay area who helpedñp & typhoon victims in the philippines are back home tonight. one month ago typhoon haiyan hit the central philippines. family and friends greeted the medicalñi worke÷g)ywhen they

arrived home at sfo. th+! say they saw at least 200 patients a day. one nurse said she tried not to cry when she heard theirt( stories. >> they told me about how they survived. they told me about their stories aboutxd -- there's a --ñi the :m tzeushed by a roçó()y daughter, meters of water, it's not just one wave but three okwaves. how they survived. and it was very hard to -- to their stories. but i have to listen. >> the category 5 storm killed more than 5,000 people and mo. next, it is still under construction, but it nabbed another high-profile sporting ñ when wreae-sr'g fans may head t levi stadium forok wrestlemania.

and did you see it? how much money seattle fans paid over candlestick park.essage t+ good morning nelly! woah.

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hundreds of fans gathered today toe1 pay their respects t actor paul walker and his çó friend, roger çórodas, at the se where thelp pair died in a car ( crash. the "fast and furious" star and his friu valencia when rodas crashed walker's porsche into a pole and then a tree. one fan says he met walker four years ago when he was working at a place that sold remote controlled cars. ífuz ended up walking up and just said hey, how are you doing? we kind of just started talking and he kind of just hung out for four hours. and then he ended up buying an rc car. ever since then he'd car,÷ me ad pretty cool. he was aok reallyok cool guy.